Edit: Some posts and threads got deleted or messed up. Here is a pasted summary post for Blitzos present situation:

I posted this last night... before the thread got sacked. Here it is again, with a foolproof way to send him some cash:

Mar 11, 2013 - 11:35pm PT
Ok...

This fundraiser stuff is once again running rampant and misinformation and half-cocked ideas are swirling the bowl, not just for the Bloot, but others as well.

As for Blitzo and other really broke folks. There are a lot of obstacles in the way for a guy in his position. Real people that have jobs and function at a level somewhere above the hard deck don't realize just what a ball ache it is to be really poor. I'll outline some of it for you:
1. Bank account. They cost money. $15 a month for them to hold your money. Some months there is not $15 even available, never mind a continuous bleed off month after month. A spotty financial history makes it so you can not even get an account.
2. Car: insurance, registration, past due registration, upkeep, parts, labor, and then gas. This big package gets him down the road, but with no money for gas, and where is he going? Not to a job, because he has no car. Can't have a car, because he has no job. It is a cycle. Joyriding around without a purpose is expensive and does not produce income.
3. Food and county services are somewhat taken care of, but if ya earn any money they will take your benefits. If you don't earn any money, then you need to roll down to the office on occasion to fill out some paperwork or maybe go to the doctor. No car? No bus fare? Bike usually has a flat? All of these apply. Miles of walking are involved, usually pushing the bike that has a rip in the sidewall. Tires aren't cheap when you are in this position, so I guess more walking is in his future. Bus pass? We tried that. Pass was never purchased since he decided walking 2 hours to get one hour of work was a better deal.
4. Work: This is a tough one. Can't get to work without a car. Pay is so low that after working all day, you can almost afford the gas to get back home. Work is sporadic at best. Jobs in these bottomfeeder towns are hard to find and the pay is low. And in reality, Blitzo is not running a huge skillset when it comes to generating cash. Past employment history does not show a shining example for employee of the month. Drug testing is a small problem at certain times. The no money thing usually takes care of that last one though. As for getting paid, the employer can't really give him a check, and must go to the ATM to get cash. Not always that easy to do or available for legit sources.
5. Selling prints. Sounds great on the surface. This is something being actively pursued by his "agent" and others. But of course, the images will have to be found, a printer sourced that is willing to ship for him, a web page that is maintained with his images, and since they are doing all the work, they want the biggest cut. For example, all you guys on here that say they will buy a print... just how is that going to work? Who is printing the image? How is it getting to you? How are you going to pay so that the funds are even accessible? He has a computer that randomly shuts down and restarts sometimes 20 times an hour. He has no real internet access unless he stands outside with a long extension cord (because the laptop battery is fried) and foil wrapped on his head to get 1 bar from a leaking Wifi down the street. How is that uploading images or emailing files to anyone?
6. Shelter etc: So far the beyond generous Will has this covered, but nothing lasts forever. The Pit? That is usually the next stop on the gonner tour. Having less resources will not help things and the Pit is batting zero in financial success stories.

There are plenty more roadblocks in the way for all these poor guys with problems. The whole dynamic is very complex and different for each person. So, what can really help? Is a fundraiser going to cure all of the above? Hardly. Will it get him over a hump? For sure. So, if you want to send Blitzo some money, so he can maybe get set up to run Wills' car, and have enough gas to drive it, send it. If you want to make sure he has a spare bike tire so he can get to the store or rake weeds on some sand lot for $20, send it. If it makes you feel good, send it. If Jesus tells you to send some money, send it. If you want to buy a print, hold that thought until some sort of gallery is in place that can actually process, serve, and ship images.

I'm sure ya'll are bumming out with my Debbie Downer dose of realism, but that is the situation right now.

So, for PayPal, do the usual routine of going to http://www.PayPal.com and in the send money tab, choose "personal" so there are no fees, put in
RevBlitzo@Hotmail.com This is his account that he can't really use since they will not give him a Debit card or allow any withdraw of funds since he has no bank account. But, as a workaround, he can transfer it to me from his PayPal account, and I can give him the cash or make purchases for him. Of course anyone who donates and wants to see where the money is, goes, or gets siphoned off to will be supplied with that information. Unlike some of those other black ops, nobody is behind the curtain on this gig.

Want to send a check? Don't. Cashing checks is a problem and costs a fair bit of money. Blitzo has a PO Box, and I'll edit in that info when I get it so you can send a sawbuck or two in the mail.

Two bills for the pictured lamp Norwegian?I'll leave a cryptic message before my next trip through your area, so no shipping costs. PM me a mailing address to send the green.Trust you to get it to Billy.

How about auctioning a climbing day of obscure, super secret, Ninja routes with Blitzo & Locker?

A privately guided climbing day of obscure rock climbs of Margaritaville is punishment.. not a reward FYI ;) I bid $2.

OK.. since our previous two art pieces are now sold.. I'll offer up a stained glass piece for auction.

Credit: justthemaid

Kind of an an experimental piece. Painted seascape with stars created from handmade glass and salvaged materials. The center portion is done with a technique called "vittri fussaille" which involves first fusing glass in a kiln, then firing it a second time with traditional glass paint to all the details

Those are the preferred methods. I'm walking out the door and cannot assist you until monday. Email Locker for more info, as I really don't know just what you are asking. Who is the meat package? Hopefully you are not shipping any meat out here to the sand.

You could probably call him and get today's lowdown on Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil...everything but a real doctor, Oprah (did she retire?), Star Trek reruns, Jerry Springer...and whatever else they play on the Teevee machines.

Blitzo was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma September 2012 and over the course of a month went through several (4) chemotherapy treatments. He was sick, lethargic, anemic and extremely thin before taking him to the ER last fall. He responded wonderfully to chemo and had the best of care during his treatment in Palm Springs. After discharge is where things started to suffer.

For a variety of reasons management care was set aside. If you ask me, I'lll tell you straight up it's because 1) he's a man & 2) Blitzo has poor judgement . With insurance coverage changes brought in a new primary care physician that did little to research his history or stay on top of management. At some point Blitzo claimed that the Dr actually asked him "who told you, you had cancer". As at the time his blood count good and overall fairly healthy in the scheme of things but this was after a month in the hospital with 24/7 care. Ultimately, Blitzo considered this a state of "remission" and talked of ongoing care using homeopathic methods. It was Steelmonkey who commented on how well that worked out for Steve Jobs. As it is, Blitzo basically elected to stop treatment and going to the doctor regardless of encouragement from Locker, Russ, Will, Leigh-Ann and myself. Probably a dozen other people like Flouride and others in there too.

Fast forward..............months of nagging.......................complaints of back hurting................tummy hurting....................and multiple instructions to CALL THE DR! He finally did and went last Monday, labs and such were taken over a course of a few days with another appointment set for the following Monday (yesterday). During the course of this past week he lost the ability to walk, had severe tummy aches, gas and other issues surrounding extreme pain. By the time Monday morning rolled around he was unable to make it to the Dr and needed to be picked up and delivered to the ER for assessment.

High Desert Med Center as per usual performs excellent care and assessment with CT scans and blood work. The results was not that wonderful as multiple masses have been found with the two largest (by concern and proximity) are at L4 & L5 2.3 x 4.2 x 1.2cm & 5.4, 4.6 x 3.3cm. Toss in some compression at T11 & T12 to boot.

HDMC does not have an oncology department - we learned this the last time. With the CT results on disk we packed him up and brought him to Arrowhead Medical Center for treatment.

Amazingly the waiting room although packed was triaged with great speed from the staff. We were assessed and placed in a bed within 1.5 hours. Neurology consult included in less than 3 hours. He was admitted, provided a bed and continuous care throughout the evening. Full CT scan from waist up, head and MRI completed over the course of the day plus who knows what else.

There are several concerns but first and foremost is the mass that's living in his spinal cord and making him unable to walk. With much discussion amongst the Neuro Team they vacillated between radiation and surgery. Ultimately, around 5pm today the final call was for surgery. I have not heard how things have gone at this point.

It's clear that he has a long road ahead that will likely result in both isolated radiation and chemotherapy. Blitzo truly appreciates everyone's well wishes, FaceBook posts, happy thoughts and maybe a few prayers as he sets forth on this next chapter.

Thank you to those who read this thread, have helped him in the past and those who care about his survival and health. He's a crazy cat but he's ours and we love him.

My apologies for the long update, it wasn't my intention but once I began to write I figured I might as well start from the beginning.

Those of you interested in his survival.... it's too early to tell. The disease is generally one that can be managed but lack of attention for so many months may have changed some things. At this point, we can hope he responds as well to Chemo as the last time and is pain free and functioning soon. Arrowhead Med Center has been giving him excellent care so far, I can only assume they will continue to get him back on his feet. I hope to receive a more updated report later this evening or tomorrow during a visit and consult with his Internal Meds Doc, Neuro Team, Hematologist & Oncologist.

Thanks everyone. Pics of Blitzo in the hospital tagged on FB - it was a busy day for him today with labs and now surgery but providing he keeps his damn phone charged I know he'll be checking in on the Taco & FB time permitting.

~Susan

p.s. I have not proofed this posting and likely will not. I"m exhausted and figure you all can decipher any typos, spelling errors, etc. Oh, and I'm not a licensed physician in the state of CA.. I have more info but that's the gist of things.

hey there sooze... oh my... i did not know how much worse it had got...

i thought he was there for some needed 'usual dosage' of 'whatever' :(

let blitzo know i am praying for him... and will get my friend to, tonight, too...

i will give him all the mornings of my week this week, as well... up 'til 3:00, each day...

he was there to help me wayyyyyy back, when jello first posted a his 'help neebee back', for all the times i tried to be helpful to folks, back when i was NEW here--lots of folks did, and i remember

blitzo and russ sent a joint help and a card... :)

i JUST NOW WENT OVER AND picked it up to read it...

blitzo, my prayers are in your corner...
god bless with some new and special help, and some
new smiles, along this hard trail... get well soon as you can!!!!

*sooze, you were NOT too long...
laying all the cards on the table, just show how the ol' game is going, so
there will be no confusion or lack of understanding...
:)

thank you! for caring to do so...
wish i could do more-- i have something to help with the finance, by way of artwork, if you can put it somewhere to sell...
will send it in a few weeks...
god bless...

I've been holding off on longer comments in this thread...but with Sooze's report the cat's out of the bag so here I go....

Thanks for the write up for everyone Sooze. I know that took a lot of time and effort and you've been through the ringer this week. And yes, we spoke to him like you thought.

I saw Billy in March and April. Both times he looked good physically but mentally he kept saying how much he didn't want to do any more chemo, how badly he hated it and wrecked him. We urged him that he needed to keep it up to keep the cancer at bay but I was worried that he really didn't want to undergo it and would rather see what the future held.

I took this photo of Steve L, Locker and Billy in mid March in Joshua Tree. Billy couldn't climb per doctors orders but could still hike and carry a pack strongly. And shoot the sh#t like the best of them. We spent the morning/mid-afternoon climbing in Echo. He really missed the thought of not being able to climb. I took a pic at the end of the day and I noticed his thumbs down as I took the picture and I realized how sad he was.

Echo Cove in Joshua Tree. With SteveL, locker and Blitzo. 3/13

Credit: Fluoride

I love Billy. I met him on my first Yosemite trip 6 months into my climbing life in 2003. He's been a fixture in it ever since and is one of my longest and strongest climbing friendships. Billy and I have seen each other through a lot of ups and downs.

In early April we hung out at Seth's bash. He was the Billy I've known all along. Made smart, snide comments on things, watched the ladder contest, he even pointed out "hey that guy over there is the one on the cover of the Miramontes (JT) guidebook (on Firewater Chimney). I asked him if he knew for sure cause the guy had a hat on and was wearing glasses but he said no, he just recognized him. He just knows JT and the people there that well. And when I got home I looked up the cover photo and sure enough it was the same guy. It's Billy's photographer's eye. He sees things that many of us don't. He's so skilled at that.

Here's Billy at the party:

Steve and Billy at the Sethpool party, 4/13

Credit: Fluoride

Billy is such a big part of Joshua Tree life. Can't wait for him to kick this latest setback and be back home there where he knows so much about everything there. The routes, the wildflowers, the cacti, the snakes, the lizards, he's taught me so much over the years. Just little nuggets of pointing things out that have turned into a vast array of desert knowledge through him.

Stay strong Billy and fight this f*#ker. We're all pulling for you.

I'm sharing this cause I know he has a ton of people out there pulling for him but aren't sure exactly what's going on. I've had e-mails from people about this and have stayed evasive as a very small circle of us really knew what was happening. But after Susan's post you guys know the story. Just wanted to add that Russ and Sooze are friggin heroes and saints. They saw when Billy started going downhill originally, helped get him the best treatment possible, looked after him after his hospitalization. You name it, they are always there for Billy. Billy has always had great taste in friends :)

Thanks Jaybro and others but it's not necessary. Blitzo, he's like our pet and love him dearly.

Surgery removed the largest and most dangerous mass from his spine. They may return to surgery for at least one more. They used the word "oatmeal" with Blitzo while explaining what they found. He's a mess in there.

Multiple masses found throughout his body, so it's looking like Radiation is going to be the next course of action although the exact plan has yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, he's pretty comfortable and getting excellent care. Spirits vary between feeling pretty good in that he's getting great care and amazed in how it's like watching the show "House" on TV but this time it's him. He is a little down in that he knows now that he shouldn't have just skipped out on managing this disease but had no idea how quickly and bad things could get.

More to come, keep the good vibes coming. Those of you who have called & emailed, he's got tons of messages but too busy and exhausted to thumb threw them but a big thanks to everyone who cares. It means a lot to him.

Just talked to the Bloot. He sounds a little woozy from the pain meds, but sounds pretty good for a dude who just had surgery. Headed over there tonight after work to pay a visit. He also said that docs say his internal organs are in good shape, so that's encouraging.

For all you who know him, this is typical Blitzo...last Saturday he's telling me of his recent maladies, and says his legs are feeling funny and it feels like he's walking on Marshmallows.

"Well, that's weird, you been smoking salvia or something?" I kid him.
"Nah, but I did some reading on the internet and I think I've got anxiety...the marshmallow walk is a common symptom" he says.

And I'm thinking "Anxiety? WTF do you have to be anxious about? You're the least anxious person I know!"

Sounds like he will probably have more surgery in the near future. Keep Billy in your thoughts, this is going to be a rough road.

I've been away from the mainstream on S-T, but a friend pointed this out to me to "check it out!" Holy schizzle, Blitzo! Hope you can pull through all this; my thoughts are with you and I'll drink a beer (or several!) while thinking of you!

Blitzo is like a badger;...he just keeps coming at ya......
Rest up, Blitzo.....my kids are worried about you, Billy.....so don't be frightening my kids.........listen to the doctors, watch a bunch of TV, eat all that hospital food, and I'll see you soon......

Saw Billy last night for a quick ~30min visit before they booted me out to do some nursing stuff.

He's in pretty good spirits and getting good care. Because of the surgery, he is basically confined to a lying down position, can't really move around or sit up yet, but will be fixed up with some S&M looking gear soon..like some leather chest harness and chains and sh#t (should look like Rob Halford, circa '89) to allow him to sit up without causing problems with the back/surgery area.

Had just finished what looked like a gnarly bland plate of hosptial food enchiladas...or at least that's what they claimed it was anyway, I have my doubts!. Lots of sweet and attractive nurses taking care of him.

I'm headed back tonight after work. No food, drink, etc allowed on the ICU, (seemed like flowers were a "no" too) so if you are sending well wishes, maybe stick to cards or similar for now.

Also, he does have his phone, but doesn't get the best signal in his room. Long and difficult road ahead, keep sending him your best.

Blitzo has a trove of historically valuable pictures that could be both meaningful for the time they represent and personally munificent to him for the money they are worth as prints sold.

I don't get the sensitivity around going full on with profiting on the worth of his body of work.

I've naively done the sorry, tired artistic path and it's always ultimately a loser on it's knees, in reverence of some ill defined "higher goal" about "process" as if product and a good life from good works is something tawdry.

Artist culture SUCKS.

I think it's a good idea for someone local to help Bill print up some iconic pictures and make some money off of his hard work !

Leigh-Ann is a fantastic artist, friend and agent of the ENTIRE Blitzo collection. She and the Bloot have diligently been working on the portfolio when we took the little turn to the hospital. But rest assured, she's already riding his ass by dropping off his laptop, setting him up a blog and schedule to get photo stories documented by blog, written or spoken word while he's undergoing treatment. This may cause a bit of a delay but his work will be available to the public and the vision is to include stories and documentation of much of the historical stuff.

She's a gem, we love her and so happy that she's in our lives & Blitzo's too.

Went and saw Billy last night for a few hours. He is recovering reasonably well from the surgery, and will be moved from ICU to a regular room as soon as one becomes available.

Got a torso brace on him now so he can sit up without causing damage...and eat while sitting up instead of laying flat. Much to my disappointment, the torso brace is white plastic, and looks nothing at all like a Rob Halford, Judas Priest circa '87 leather chest harness rig. Oh well.

Thank you Will, I was hoping you'd post up last night's visit and knew about the room change. I think he was really only in ICU after surgery because the hospital is lacking beds. Not that what's going on isn't serious but it was a good place to lob him temporarily.

Smooth organs good, bones are a mess plus the various masses which all need to be reduced and zapped. He likes that he's getting such great care and seems that the various teams are really giving him a lot of attention. Leigh-Ann talks about how it's a teaching hospital and we're hopeful that this extra attention will not only get him back on his feet for years to come but provide valuable lessons and knowledge to these newly minted doctors.

Here's to ArrowCare, the Doctors and all the friends who are determined to help the Bloot through this!

You can DO this! Use all the naturalistic stuff and good diet to stay in the best health to better tolerate chemo. Chemo is a bit...ch...last time I saw you just over two years ago at Gordos I was bald from just finishing six months of chemo. I fought back ovarian cancer and remain clean ...
You're looking pretty good, Borg-like, with ET fingers...lots of living yet to do..and a whole community that cares deeply ...
Climbing bald, but climbing nonetheless....you're next! (Maybe your chemo doesn't make you bald??)

First climb 3 weeks post chemo. At Trash Can Rock during Flander's Fest. And getting to see everyone! Yeah...couldn't ask for more!

I spent 24 hours in the Davis med center after being diagnosed with a broken neck at about 8 hours in, on a late Saturday night. David Med center is a major trauma center in Sacramento and as such the ER sees serious action.

I was waiting for a bed in the Spinal ICU.

A guy died on the table to my right, the dr. shouting at him to fight. The guy on my left projectile vomited straight up like a geyser all the while apologizing WHILE vomiting.

Sorrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeegggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

But I had a broken neck, was flat on my back unable to turn this way or that, unable to rise.

Well I hadn't a piss since the accident hours earlier. I had to go bad but due to pain, prone and people I could not. My bladder got worse and worse. Finally it worse than my neck.

A nurse had offered me a catheter which I declined. An hour later I begged her for it.

Slight burning sensation going in but hardly a fly walking on my back. But the relief? Ahhhhh the blessed relief..... and I didn't have to go take a wizz for two days! I liked it!

This is a message from Agent Leigh-Ann. If you've got what she's looking for you it can be sent to our address which is listed in this thread in a few places as:

Walling/Peplow
HC 1 Box 696
Joshua Tree, CA 92252

You can also write on Blitzo's FB page - Bill Serniuk that is :)

"HELLO BLITZO's FRIENDS: I need some help with something, so ya'll pass the word... I am currently scanning and organizing about 30 yrs worth of Blitzo's photos. I am setting him up with a Blog so that he can share these photos and the amazing stories that go with them. (I will announce address when it goes live next week) My ultimate goal is to make a photographic biography with him.
Here is what I need:
1. USB Flash Drive (as many GB as I can get) so I can transport photos to hospital easily for him to work on BLOG while doing Chemo/etc
2. EXTERNAL HARDRIVE (I have one but I need one more as a backup, these files are HUGE) And it needs to have a lot of Storage.

ALSO: If anyone has a second pair of headphones (not the earbud kind) that they would like to donate to Blitzo, let me know

Just saw teh Bloot. He's out of the ICU, in a regular room, and looking better by the day. Said he was able to take some steps and they unplugged a bunch of the various tubes, monitors, and wires and whatnot, so he's stoked on that.

Once he heals a bit from the surgery, radiation and chemo will start. So he is a long, long ways from being out of the woods. Keep him in your thoughts, he's tough but everyone can use some lovin'.

Yeah they're talking about releasing him into a Physical Therapy location and/or just out all together! Seems they can't start any sort of radiation until those staples and hardware from his back are out. Details from oncology is a little foggy and no doubt getting the bulk of the care from the neurologist team.

Meanwhile, the suggestion from both myself and Leigh-Ann is for him to start sandbagging his progress in regards to walking. NO WAY is he ready to be released and personally prefer he get regular, daily, hourly attention and PT from the comfort of his hospital bed. He needs to get this sh#t zapped from his body asap and releasing him to home would only complicate such a goal. Mobility being a big issue but outpatient for 3 hours round trip at this stage of things....not good!

Tomorrow we're hopeful to speak to an oncologist with an a plan of action. Until then, I told the Bloot to start stumbling on his feet.......literally!

Thanks for checking on him tonight Will, we're on for tomorrow. Meanwhile, Leigh-Ann is hot on the task of working the blog reports and looking into a new computer for him. The hand-me-down that came from Russ requires to be plugged in at all times and that's not really that conducive to working. Surfing, sure but not really getting work done. So, is anyone looking to sell a Mac laptop for reasonable? One that has actual battery life? If so, shoot the details to Russ as the specs of a mac would be lost on me.

Photos are coming along; it's a huge catalog in which he and his agent have been working on. Vintage climbing, historical stuff, flowers, landscapes, etc. An incredible collection taking a lot of time to document and get ready to launch. So much of it required scanning and description as well. The plan is to have fine art, stock, signed and much more available. So those of you waiting for some Blitzo Collection your time is coming!

The Agent: checking in with Bloot's FAMILY
Really nice to meet you all!

Blitzo and I are on a roll getting his photography organized. I hired a young lady today to give me a hand with all the scanning....There is a ton of film...prepare yourselves for time travel and memory sensory overload. Gonna be a fun trip down memory lane for many of you.

BLOG slash online portfolio going live this week. I will send out the address once all the kinks are worked out.

Speaking OF: I need email addresses: yours, friends of yours, anyone who wants info on Blitzo's prints, etc. I will be sending out an email at some point on how to purchase prints, etc.

Here's the deal...Blitzo wants all money made from his prints after he has left this world to go into a scholarship/fund for kids who want to climb and make pictures. I'm gonna work with Soooze and FISH to make sure this happens for him.

Also, if you are a person who is requesting Blitzo's photos for magazine, etc...let me know and I will find what you need. We hope to have all the images cataloged by end of summer. There are a sh#t ton so wish me luck.

Big discussion from the penthouse of Arrowhead Medical Center! Up to speed on med stuff which isn't much of an update. Neuro team wants him to heal before oncology comes in. So PT, X-rays, TV and snacks. He walked around the floor a bit today so he's gaining strength. Russ delivered the gift from Jaybro which is an album of Firesign Theatre and we also passed on the card from Nita & family which came in yesterday's mail.

Laughing, catching up and feeling happy to see out Ninja friend.

What's this? Storm troopers coming?

Credit: susan peplow

Credit: susan peplow

During the early days when he didn't have a real bed - stuck many times by RN's in training

This gorgeous lady is my new business partner! Photographer extraordinaire, , She is in charge of making sure Blitzo's Lifetime work is scanned and displayed properly!
Thank goodness she has joined the team!

Wow, this community is amazing! I actually don't frequent the Taco all that much it can be a bummer sometimes and I know that you all understand that feeling. But it never ceases to amaze me how you all come together when called. Whether it's a stranger who's hurt, passed or times of gathering like the facelift or various fundraisers it seems that so many people just do it with open heart and checkbooks.

I fear I may be rambling but didn't want the moment to pass without embracing it. I'm overwhelmed by the love out there. Countless donations made to our friend Blitzo over the course of months......years! Provider of cars, cash, living arrangements, items of need mailed in, items purchased on his behalf and the continuous words of appreciation and concern, people driving in from States away to visit, people regularly stopping by .... it just goes on and on.

I'm not sure who wants their names out there but I hope you all truly know how much we appreciate the generosity both emotionally and financially. You guys really are amazing, or should I say "the Mack"?

You deserve a lot of credit for bringing this all together. Without all your help Billy would not have seen the outpouring of love and respect he has earned from his lifetime of dedication to the climbing community.

Thanks to you I got to see the Reverend yesterday. He is pretty upbeat, and has the nurses jumping to make his life better.

susan peplow - "You guys really are amazing, or should I say 'The Mack'?" -- Perhaps, but dood (Blitzo) is definitely THE Mack! If there was ever any doubts, after following this thread, they no longer exist. Plus, he's surrounded by Mack Momma's, so hey...nuff said!

btw, here is a song for all of Blitzo's Mack Momma's...

edit: i hope to meet you some day soon Mr. Blitz, out in the hills somewhere, perhaps. you are in my thoughts and prayers continually, and my hopes are that you will get well soon!

I'm about to go all overwhelming feelings of LOVE here so be advised....

Blitzo is doing as well as he can be considered. He has a lot of bruises...crazy meds...lots of pain...a lot of issues with figuring out what the f*#k is happening with his treatment plan, etc etc. I was there today for over two hours trying to get a f*#king wheel chair so he could pee on his own in privacy...and no f*#king help. Im a little pissed and heartbroken at what he is dealing with and going total girl about it, but so be it...

Anyhoo, in the meantime, I am keeping him occupied as best I can with his photography and all of those slides Amanda and I are scanning. We go live with the site this friday. It will be months before all the pictures he took are up there so if you are looking for something in particular, let me know via email at leighann.sulli@gmail.com

Furthermore...GO VISIT HIM IF YOU CAN
NOW IS THE TIME.

We will probably start CHEMO this week. Things are gonna get sketchy and hard for him depending on how he reacts to the drugs.

MOST IMPORTANT:

I am truly humbled. I'm not a rock climber. I'm a soccer player and a mom and a photographer and sometimes I play the banjo badly...but I am so humbled by your community. I am so humbled by what you have done for a man I look up to and respect. His work is amazing. I loved him for his work. I fell in love with him because of the stories. I cant be away from him now because our friendship has grown to a wonderful place of mutual trust and respect.

Thank you all for being who you are and coming together the way you have. I am overwhelmed with love and admiration for you all....

Seemed okay with Russ but know that he was feeling a bit down. It's been two weeks today since we took him into the hospital, not exactly happy that we don't have a current prognosis or treatment plan from oncology. Hopefully with a recovery from his neuro work we can get that going this week as Leigh-Ann said.

While we're all on a mutual love-fest let it be known that Leigh-Ann has been a steady and loving friend through this and going to visit Blitzo more regular than anyone. Locker drove down from Colorado to visit his buddy and that is huge too.

I too am blessed to have such good friends and amazed myself how the community comes together in need.

~Susan

p.s. "newer" laptop ordered for Blitzo thanks to a very generous donation from Zip and others this week. It should arrive later this week, we'll load with music and other goods for delivery and then get to work for his Agent!

I first met Billy climbing in the valley in the mid 80s. Will never forget hanging out Billy, Cid, and I at Tenaya Lake Campground or the wild dance parties in the lodge parking lot listening to Morris Day. We have been friends a long time. Billy is one of the few people I know that can tolerate my crazy family, recently he helped me pull my sister's car out of a ditch. You should have seen the look on his face as the car teetered on the edge of the embankment with him behind the wheel and me towing it with my 4x4. He survived that epic adventure now I need him to pull through this as well. I am going to see Billy on Monday if anyone wants to join me

Steve and I stopped in to visit Billy at the hospital today. He's totally the Blitzo we all know and love. Will be undergoing chemo/radiation in a few days but could be home as early as next week. He's really looking forward to getting out of the hospital and being back home in JT.

Der Blooter is supposed to get his first radiation treatment tomorrow.

Just saw him tonight for a couple hours and he is doing ok, aside from suffering from an overdose of Bonanza re-runs on the TV. Still weak and can't really walk more than a couple steps, but PT says he is getting stronger.

Lots of friends came to visit last week, many from very far away, and he was still stoked about that and to see everyone, so thanks everyone for keeping his spirits up.

At the hospital with Blitzo. He just left to go down to get a CAT scan in order to determine where they will target the radiation treatments. AmandaANGEL is going to record what the docs say when and if they ever get in here to give me the scoop.

He's crazy weak, lost a ton of weight, but he is moving around with a lot more agility...

Goal is to come up with a discharge plan and home health care stuff...

hey there say, blitzo-billy... ride this bronc, to victory... ;)
(meaning, i just read that the day went well)... :)

i AM sending you a gift, in a few days---did NOT forget you...
i just am off course a few days--had to take care of something
new in the yard, that was: old bricks and stuff, just now given me,
from the neighbor, got it all in the garden, so it won't be 'junk' here,
but a treasure... NOW--i got my 'organized time' back, and my 'sudden' is all done up, tidy...

may your ORGANIZED time, soon be YOURS again...
and may this 'sudden' that SLOWLY snuck up on you, be ALL tidied up,
and in ways that will last LONG into the future...

god bless you and a 'sisterly hug' to you!!!
keep getting well--i am still praying... :)

Yep, they are going to release him, within days, possibly as early as tomorrow and do the radiation as outpatient. Which seems insane to me with that many treatments in that close a period with the stress of that much travel every day, but what do I know (don't answer that)?

We're going to rally up tonight and plot out how to cover the radiation transport.

The Mack macked the mack outta those Circus Animal cookies. I was on the phone for a sec and had to run across the run and snatch one before they were all hoovered up.

Hey Blitzo!
I'm glad to hear something from ya!! It's been SOOO long I thought you might be dead,
JUS KIDD'IN. I really hope ur feeling better!
I know ur a photographer, and not a writer, but maybe you could expond and tell us about ur experiences?
And oh yea, my moms in town and I could really use my wheelchair! Is it at ur house? If so , is Will around this weekend?
Keep me updated.
Call me.
Cheers Buddy!!!!!!!

A historical non-fiction work. The epic tale of the whaling ship Essex. Herman Melville based "Moby Dick" on their accounts.

He read it and gave it to me to read some years ago and asked that I pass it along to another climber so the book would keep in the climbing world, enlightening and engrossing more people. It had to have been 5-6 years ago. Would love to know where the copy of that book is today.

Yeah, called with 24 hours notice for appointment and treatment start date. Unbelievable.

Big thanks to Paul who will doing the driving, without him we'd be sunk this week! And Leigh-Ann for finding the solution, we had some heads together earlier as to how we were going to make this happen. Panic, frustration, aggravation, fear were common emotions but the Agent figured it out. Thank Heaven's!

St. Paul & Agent just left Casa de Pescado with the Blooter in tow. Loaded up for the trip to Colton for his first Radiation treatment this morning. Russ made him his standard egg breakfast to fatten him up for the trip.

Hoping the treatment doesn't have too many ill affects and only benefits! Here's to hoping for our good friend Blitzo. Keep the good thoughts coming peeps!

Heading to first radiation appointment. Keeping My fingers crossed that this will not be too hard on Blitzo's body.

I'm starting to feel so much more optimistic. Blitzo looks a hundred Times better today than he did a week ago. I was scared for him To leave that hospital but now I see that everything is working Out for the best. Being home with his amazing friends, Susan and Russ, Has supercharged his recovery. He's eating Susans excellent cooking. She Is keeping him handsome, and also bought him a kick ass Walker with a seat so he can exercise. Russ does the heavy lifting and has him in Excellent mood and spirit.

We have a long road ahead. 15 rounds of radiation and no idea how Hard this will be on his body. I'm researching the Gerson method online to See about the next steps after radiation. They have a clinic in San Diego. Might be a possibility this August.

Ultimate goals are to get through this radiation course and work towards healing. He will be getting busy this weekend on his blog. Donations have so far been used for laptop and will be further used for travel Expenses. Can not thank everyone enough for the cash. The cash also pays for Fabio and Fabio is there when Susan and I or Russ or Will cannot be. Not sure what we would do without him. He's a great kid!

I will post an update on how this first treatment goes but Will made a good point, the first Treatments are fairly easy. It's the later treatments that get hard. Keep sending the good vibes, love and prayers.
~ The Agent

PS: Blitzofoto.com
Amanda will be uploading a sh#t ton of photographs today. Blitzo will work on writing the little ditties and stories over time. Keep checking back to see his additions. He will also forward to Facebook the photographs he really loves.

40 years of National park and Rock Climbing History. All out of his shoebox. Fecking Amazing!

"I'm starting to feel so much more optimistic. Blitzo looks a hundred Times better today than he did a week ago. I was scared for him To leave that hospital but now I see that everything is working Out for the best. Being home with his amazing friends, Susan and Russ, Has supercharged his recovery. He's eating Susans excellent cooking. She Is keeping him handsome, and also bought him a kick ass Walker with a seat so he can exercise. Russ does the heavy lifting and has him in Excellent mood and spirit."...

(FORTUNE Magazine) – A ton of money sounds like an incomprehensible amount,but how much is 2,000 pounds really worth? Naturally the answer depends on the kind of money you're weighing. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, all paper bills weigh the same: one gram. About 454 grams make a pound, which means that a ton of dollar bills would be worth $908,000.

Can we return the focus to our friend please, and take the pissing match somewhere else?

Coz, thanks for your donations and desire to simplify, but there is no need for additional methods at this time. Please stick with the established routes if you wish to donate.

Coz, if you want to be of actual help, rather than creating confusion and stirring up resentment from trying to usurp the donation process that is already well established, there are things that are needed, such as running shuttles from JT to Colton and back for treatment. You want to help? That is what is needed, run a shuttle or three. We have a handle on getting donated funds to the man, so please direct your efforts in a more productive direction.

Locker is in touch with him every day, is his best friend in the world, and is heavily involved in the logistics of his ongoing care. He knows what is going on, please listen to him.

I don't know, Riley, I'd tend to agree with guy's best friend who has clearly been there through thick and thin over a guy who hasn't even met the fellow. Then to unilaterally act as the guy's agent? For a guy you've never even met? That would make most of us pretty uneasy just on the face of it.

It went from misunderstanding to bizarre in six seconds flat, I really don't care how you clothe it. But, hey, we all read things differently.

But I wish the best for the Blute. I ain't got money to donate yet, never met you, but you are lucky to have the rabidly loyal support system you have. Those are riches nobody can buy.

No, just Jingy but only because Coz seems to be forcing the issues with adding his address on every other post, almost like he wants to pull some of the funds that would be sent to Blitzp through the established methods, much like a scam artist in my view..

Locker truly cares for his friend like many of us here. What a great place we have with all these concerned people. Billy is on a tough road right now and the more positive energy .... (and money) we can send his way can only help.

So here comes some positivity your way Blitzo ....... from the Slacks family

Hi billy/bloot/walter,
Hope that reading "as the taco turns" today has made you laugh. It doesn't get any wierder on the interweb than it can get here.
Just want you to know I have never been confused about your very own personal paypal address. What could be more simple?
Hope you had an ok day today, maybe even a good day!
Phyl

Im in charge of getting photographs to those who donated money to Blitzo. I take requests. As I mentioned about 7 times before, please email me at leighann.sulli@gmail.com

If anyone has a problem with Blitzo's medical care, or the care of his photography or general well being, I invite you to visit me in Indian Cove CA at:

6563 Pine Spring Ave
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277

**Coz, I am especially looking forward to meeting you.
**

For those of you who have more important things to do than sit around comparing the size of your miniscule cocks, by all means call me and I will give you a genuine update of Blitzo's condition. 510.459.8827

I'm on my way for my evening visit to see him. I will pass on the well wishes.